Archive for January, 2011

I’ve always been a firm believer in karma. Good or bad karma exist to me. I feel if you do good or bad things it ends up coming right back to you. Half of my family is Spanish, so I grew up believing in the “evil” eye.

For those of you that don’t know what the evil eye is, it’s basically exactly how it sounds. Mostly people of Jewish and Spanish backgrounds believe in it, but any culture can take part in it. Basically it acts as a protector. You wear it as a piece of jewelry anywhere on your body and it protects you from those wishing bad on you. The saying is, that if it falls and breaks someone was wishing bad on you and now the karma goes back to them even worse. Some people may think it’s superstitious but if you believe in karma like I do, then you may think it might actually work.

Continue Reading

Net-a-Porter isn’t the only designer boutique trying to get rid of last seasons bags by slashing prices in the neighborhood of 40% off retail. Over at My Theresa they just added a bunch of items by Alexander Wang, Marc Jacobs (and Marc by Marc Jacobs), Yves Saint Laurent, Chloe, and more to the sale section – which includes more than just bags – accessories, designer shoes and clothing are on sale!

Gotta love the amazing post-holiday sales!

Pictured above:
Alexander Wang Washed Shoulder Bag: $710 (orig $1019)
Chloe Aurore Bucket: $1033 (orig $1474)
Marc by Marc Jacobs Lil Mia: $356 (orig $504)
Marc Jacobs Sequin Stam: $1784 (orig $2544)
Yves Saint Laurent Charms Tote: $710 (orig $1020)

Love eco-animal-friendly handbag brand Matt & Nat and looking to score a deal? Now is your chance. But you better rush on over to online sample sale site RueLaLa!

My favorite pick from the sale is the “Santogold”. I have an obsession with grey bags, and while gold hardware isn’t ideally the first accent choice that comes to mind, on this bag in particular it looks stunning and really pops.

Functionally the bag is amazing. It measures 15″ at widest point x 8.5″ high x 1″ deep, which is the perfect size for just the necessities – wallet, cell, touch-up makeup pouch and maybe even a camera. It comes with two straps, a handle with a 6″ drop and a shoulder strap with a 22″ drop. Both are detachable which is a huge plus in my book. It allows for this bag to be so versatile. Although in my opinion this bag looks best completely strap-less and worn as a clutch!

Continue Reading

Oh no, am I writing about another Marc by Marc Jacobs handbag? You betcha! Introducing the Marc by Marc Jacobs Save the Birds Lenny Tote! But if I didn’t know any better, I would have sworn this bag was by Kooba. Wouldn’t you agree? Just look at those origami-like folds at the sides of the bag! Interestingly though, these folds are not functional. Typically when you see a bag that looks like this, the fold is actually the corners of the bag folded over. When they are unfolded, they produce a larger opening at the top of the bag. For this Marc by Marc Jacobs style, however, this is clearly not the case. The opening at the top can be made a little larger though, thanks to some conveniently placed zippers at each end.

Continue Reading

Without any aid from its description I would have never guessed that this piece is in fact by Tory Burch. From a distance, it looked more like the creations of a striving designer or like any ordinary pretty piece that sits pretty at a trendy, non-designer store.

If you have followed in the past, you know that the Crescent straw handbag isn’t your typical Burch classic. But as we can see from the attempt at it, I would say she absolutely nailed it! The first thing that pops right out is the majestic design of black grooved tones that contrasts beautifully against the tan interwoven straw silhouette. Other cool features include black leather handles and the excellent choice of gold toned hardware to fit the vibe. Right at the center is the recognizable Tory Burch medallion, in a discrete size that suits the overall look of this tote bag.

Continue Reading

Don’t miss out on the sale that everyone is talking about! Over at Net-a-Porter they added a few more items -clothing, bags, shoes and more- to the sale section, plus they reduced prices on all sale items by an extra 20% off. Some of the items are marked 60% off retail. The madness.

This is your last chance to score some deals before they sell out (going fast!) or move inventory over to NAP’s sister discount site TheOutnet.

Continue Reading

Every year it seems like we have a trend that comes out of no where. I remember scratching my head when I saw the whole neon trend but then I also remember drooling when I first took a glimpse of the stud trend. Trends come out constantly, they blow up and it seems they fizzle away after awhile.

Is it just me, or does it seem like “tie-dye” is trying to become a new trend? When I think of tie-dye the 70′s comes straight to my head. You know the whole rainbow tie-dye that was so tacky but yet so huge back then?

MATT & NATT have brought us the “Narita” Bag in tie-dye and I have to say, I kind of like it. I’m into the whole black, gray and white colors on a bag now because they compliment my wardrobe well, so in other words this bag would look amazing in my closet. Yes it’s tie-dye, but it’s tastefully done and doesn’t look too overbearing like the neon colors did in the 70′s. If this purse was made in the neon tie-dye colors I’d probably scream and would want to burn it.

Continue Reading

Here is a handbag designer that has sort of flown under the radar… well, at least my radar. Not that I haven’t heard of Bally before, I just haven’t paid much attention to their handbags (shoes, on the other hand, are another story). But after seeing the selection of Bally handbags over a Zappos, I think I might want to start paying more attention. One style that caught my eye in particular was the Bally Mac Bag.

Founded in 1851, the Swiss company is known for its handmade luxury leather goods. Each piece is painstakingly crafted in either Switzerland or Italy, where they pride themselves in their attention detail. This devotion to creating quality pieces that will last a lifetime is apparent in the Bally Mac Bag. The leather on this bag alone is enough to make a bagista go gaga! The lightly pebbled texture is delightful, not to mention soft to the touch.

Continue Reading

Whether it’s a reaction to the economy, a growing plague of back & neck pain or simply a natural response to extremely oversized handbags, every major designer is showing a mini bag this season. Sure, they have had little bags for evening, the cross-body last season, but the mini bag for day is the next great thing. Or to use an over-tired analogy, the mini-bag is the new “black”.

There are so many great offerings out there it’s hard to choose for an review. You can obviously find sparkly and satin ones for evening, but leather, nylon and pony hair are readily available in a host of colors choices. Strap lengths can be long enough for cross-body, shoulder length or short. The beauty of a short strap mini-bag is that it is small & lightweight enough to easily carry securely on your forearm still rendering you hands-free when necessary. The user must be more particular about what they stash in their mini. Small wallets or card holders, a lipstick and your phone is about all you will carrying.

Blending classic lady-like chic with a touch or rocker studs, the Valentino Rockstud Small Leather Mini Bag is featured in a beautifully sophisticated sand color perfect for resort through summer. The silver accents up the ante by appealing to those of us ladies who have a little bit of edge. This 8″ x 4 1/2″ x 2″ bag is loaded with pockets to increase its functionality. There is an outside open pocket, an inside zip pocket and four inside open pockets all secured by a flap with a silver tone turn-lock closure. All of these details come with a price of $1395, but I think you will find that it will be in your wardrobe for many years to come. Also available in black.

Continue Reading